A Stolen Future
by missbot
Summary: Dystopian. Two years have passed since a lost battle at Hogwarts. Hermione and the others are in hiding as they search for the tools they need to destroy Voldemort, who has since become powerful not only in the Wizard world, but in the muggle world as well. Hermione gets taken and sees firsthand the horrors of the Dark Lord's world and vows to end it. (lemons)
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One: Mudblood**

 _How many days have I been here? The walls are pulling me in, or at least it seems that way. I touch the wall, scratching my fingernail across the paint hard enough to make a tally mark. One. Soon after, as I've already found out, my mark disappears. The enchanted wall does not want me to count, therefore time here remains a mystery. The door to this room has a handle but when I touch it, it burns my skin. I tried to brave it and turn the handle, but to no avail. The only thing that has been provided to me is a single glass of water that refills when it gets low. Whoever put me in here needs me alive. I have to be strong, though I feel like crying. What awaits me beyond the door?_

 _Two years have passed since the battle at Hogwarts._

 _Harry had been severely injured by Lord Voldemort before we could kill Nagini, the snake. If it hadn't been for myself and Ron, he wouldn't still be alive. Not that the life he has suits him these days. The horrid curse that grazed him had caused the severing of his right arm. While in hiding, I tried desperately to find a way to grow it back, but my efforts were in vain. Maimed and unable to track down the sword of Gryffindor, he is unable to take on the Dark Lord yet. But as long as Harry lives, there is a chance that he can still be defeated. We founded a new headquarters away from Voldemort, and slowly regained the bits and pieces of the Order._

 _Meanwhile, the Wizarding world has been taken under Voldemort's wing. In only two years, he has already established his intended throne. Self appointed monarch of Wizards and Witches of the world, he had become. With none who would oppose him, who was to say he wasn't?_

 _Under his rule, all muggle born wizards and witches that the Ministry could find were rounded up and shipped off to Azkaban or killed in the process. Those who fought him or tried to protect someone were wiped out. A lot of people went into hiding, successfully. But that is only a small victory in a sea of defeats. Because of Dobby, Kreacher, and all the house elves that had assisted us against the Dark Lord, it was decreed that all of them be executed as they could no longer be trusted. Being bound magically to their masters, most of them didn't stand much of a chance. All those years I had spent trying to free them in vain. Kreacher still lives at our base with a few freed elves, who's master had given them clothes before Voldemort could demand they be handed over. As far as we know, they are the last ones._

 _About a year ago, Voldemort announced himself to the muggle population and made demands. Those who denied him what he wanted were taken. We assume those taken were killed. But we don't have very good records on the muggle world, and the documents they had kept had been destroyed by Death Eaters. Birth records, newspapers, and all manners of keeping track of who was missing were destroyed._

 _Part of my job in the Order is to protect muggles. Or at least it was, before I myself was taken._

 **Some Days Earlier**

"Neville? NEVILLE!" Luna shouted enthusiastically, her long blonde hair swaying from side to side as she gradually made her way into a run down looking kitchen.

There was crashing and thudding coming from the stairway until a tall and bearded Neville Longbottom was on the bottom, hurriedly making his way to her side. "What is it, Luna? Are you okay?"

"It kicked." She said calmly before grabbing his hand and placing it gently on her stomach, which was large underneath her blue and green polka dot dress. "Can you feel it?"

"Oh, yes.." Neville had a silly but handsome smile. "You mustn't yell like that though, you scared the daylights out of me."

"I agree." Said another voice. Opening the pantry door, there was a shaggy redheaded man who looked tired and cranky. "Luna, some of us like to sleep in."

"I'm sorry if I woke you, Ronald." Luna said half-heartedly, not really paying attention.

Neville leaned down and kissed Luna on the forehead. "Not long now."

"I bet you can't wait till they're out." Hermione made her entrance, wearing a black robe she bent over and placed a hand on Luna's stomach.

"I certainly can. It's hard enough having to live with everyone, now there's going to be a screaming baby?" Ron interjected.

"Ron.." Hermione looked at him sternly.

"Sorry.." Ron mumbled, gulping down a glass of milk.

"Don't let that grump Ron bother you. We want the both of you and the baby here safe." Hermione said, standing up straight and leaning up against the wall.

"Hermione, can you go with me to that muggle store we went to a few months ago? The one with the cribs? I still need to get a few things before the baby gets here."

Ron shook his head at Hermione. "It's too risky, and we have a rescue tonight."

"Ron, don't tell us what to do. We'll be back long before that. We'll be fine as long as its just the two of us. They won't be suspicious of a pregnant lady and her friend." She said, turning then to Luna. "Yes, but we'll need to utilize our muggle outfits."

Within the hour, both Hermione and Luna had apparated into an alleyway in a bustling town. They both wore modest grey sweaters and similarly colored pants. To hide their faces, they wore shawls around their heads.

"It's busy, good. Don't forget to keep your head down and no use of your wand." Hermione reminded her friend.

"Of course." Luna said as they both quietly entered the plaza.

They walked side by side, blending in with the muggle women who were also wearing grey outfits. Grey was the color chosen for muggles, to wear it was like a white flag of resignation. They were all afraid of being one of the missing faces. So they wore the right clothes, and worked their jobs everyday without saying a word of opposition. Hermione could not find it within herself to blame them.

They passed a large banner on the way to the store and Luna stopped to look up at it. Hermione lifted her gaze and saw none other than the emblem of the Ministry of Magic, with the words "Allegiance To Lord Voldemort". She knew there were banners just like it miles away in various languages.

Hermione's heart dropped as she grabbed Luna's hand and walked her away from it. She felt Luna trembling and turned to see tears leaving the girls eyes. Luna wasn't the type to cry, and so it took Hermione by surprise.

"Hermione.." Luna whispered as they walked along. "Things are getting worse. Why am I bringing a child into this?"

"Luna, stop crying." Hermione whispered sharply. "You'll draw attention to us. Besides, it's not as if you and Neville planned it. This is the place here."

They were swept into a baby shop, with plain looking cribs lining the front window. There were generic jars of food, diapers, and bottles on metal shelves. Luna wiped her eyes and nodded to Hermione before walking over to a saleswoman for assistance. Hermione looked out of the window nervously, but no one seemed to notice there were two wanted witches out and about. She looked up at a television that was mounted to the wall of the store.

"Of course it is a grand thing and we're lucky to have a powerful wizard like Lord Voldemort coming forward to lead us to righteousness. Our lives up until recently have been gluttonous, and self-indulgent. Morality among muggles has been on the rise since the Ministry has stepped in." The muggle man on tv wore a suit to make himself look like someone you could trust, but Hermione knew he was a politician who had most likely been blackmailed into making the appearance. Such theatrics as this were used to keep muggles compliant. To let them know that things were okay, even thought they most certainly were not.

When they were done, Hermione rushed them back into the alleyway and they apparated back to the base. Their headquarters, their home, was an abandoned factory building in a ghost town somewhere in Canada. It was big. Big enough that there was enough space for everyone and the other creatures that came in and out. Hermione wrapped her arm around Luna's back and assisted her in through the door, whispering a password on the way in.

"You two have been to that muggle town, have you?" A familiar voice scolded as soon as they were in.

"Harry.." Luna started, holding her bag to her.

Hermione spoke up. "We were fine. She just needed a couple things. It was so busy-"

"All the more people to recognize you. The Ministry has been cracking down lately. It's not safe."

"I am not unaware of this." Hermione said boldly. "We put ourselves in a lot more danger than this often. And besides- she NEEDS these things."

"That's not the point, Hermione." Harry growled, shaking his head. His left hand was gesturing, making his right side all the more noticeable. Where there should be an arm, his shirt hung loose. "Just tell me before you go in the future."

"Fine. But don't think I don't know that Ron put you up to this." Hermione said, pushing past him with Luna in tow.

Harry followed them into a room that looked a lot like the common room from back when they were in Hogwarts, except it was nowhere near as grand and there was no fireplace. Hermione threw herself onto one of the old couches and looked across to Neville, who was waiting dutifully for Luna to return. She sat very close to him, and put down her bag. Neville pulled her shawl off her head, letting her lean back into him. Hermione looked to them and then to Harry, who was still standing.

"Where's Ginny?" Hermione asked.

"She's with her mother in her parents room. Molly has a hard time before missions when it's Ginny's turn to go." Harry said, taking a seat next to Herminone's feet.

"Her only daughter." Luna said aloud. "She's lost enough of her children, anyways."

George had been killed at the battle of Hogwarts, and Fred was inconsolable. The twins had always been like a single unit, and with the other gone, Fred wasn't himself. A few nights after the battle, when they were still looking for a permanent place to hide out, a couple Death Eaters had found the lot of them and were attacking. Fred ran ahead of the group towards the attackers, telling everyone to stay where they were. They all watched in horror as Fred pulled an explosive trinket he had created out of his pocket and killed himself and the Death Eaters.

The silence in the room was broken by a clomping Ron coming down the stairs. He seemed to be in better spirits than he had been in the morning. "You're back, I see. Good."

Hermione glared at Ron as he walked into the room and squished himself onto the edge of the cushion, pinning her lying body to the couch with his weight. "Ron, honestly!" She objected as she tried to push him off. "I'm angry with you right now. Get off."

"You can't stay mad at me." Ron said, with a playful grin on his face. He re-positioned himself so he was sitting directly on top of Hermione. She let out a groan of annoyance and smacked his arm.

"Get off me or you'll be puking up frogs for a month." She threatened jokingly.

"I'll only get off if you say you forgive me." Ron said, not budging and looking very entertained with himself. "And also that I am the most handsome man you've ever known."

"I'd be lying." Hermione chuckled, pushing at Ron's hip. She could never really stay angry with him for long. "Seriously, get off. I forgive you."

"That'll do." Ron said smirking. He pulled his weight off of her, giving her leg a little smack as he stood up.

"I think we should discuss the plan for tonight." Harry said aloud.

Hermione nodded and sat up straight. Flicking her wand at a bell on the wall, it began to shake, ringing loudly.

There were puffing sounds all around as people apparated into the common room. There was Ginny, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, Bill and Fleur, and Seamus Finnigan.

There was a commotion from the stairway and everyone looked up as a little cat came pattering down the stairs, followed by a gigantic man with a long beard.

"I'm gettin' too old for these ruddy stairs." Hagrid moaned.

The cat stopped at the bottom of the stairs and began to morph into a woman. "Don't tell me about getting old. I dare say, Reubus, these stairs would be much less trying for you if you laid off the sausages for a short while." Came the strict but tender voice of Minerva McGonagall.

Hermione looked up to the old woman who used to be her professor at Hogwarts and smiled. Her grey and brown hair was tied up into a bun, but there were a few strands hanging loosely around her chin.

"I figured even though not everyone is going tonight, everyone should be here for this." Harry said aloud as everyone got comfortable. "Tonight Neville, Ginny, Hermione, Bill, and myself will be going to Bristol. I have it on good authority that the Death Eaters are going to be forcibly taking children from a muggle orphanage tomorrow."

"It's always children. What could they possibly want with them? What good are muggle children to Voldemort?" Ginny cut in.

"I haven't found out yet. Our sources are under a watchful eye and cannot get too nosy without making themselves vulnerable." Harry said. "The plan is to get into the orphanage and gather them without making a scene. I have already arranged for the children to be brought to a safer location. But they need to be delivered there by non-magical means as to avoid being suspicious. We will be using a truck, which I will drive."

Mr. Weasley made an enthusiastic cough until the attention had been shifted to him. "No offense, Harry, but I don't think you've driven enough to transport a bunch of children like that. Having more experience with vehicles, I think I should stand in your place and be the one to drive."

"I think that's a good idea." Ginny said, earning a very angry glare from Harry. "It just makes more sense, Harry, we need you here at base anyways."

Harry was about to argue but then took a deep breath. "Fine. I will give you the coordinates. Minerva, would you mind making a copy of this, please?"

"Of course, Harry." The old woman agreed.

"I've brought us all together because I have news." Harry said. "It seems there has been a sighting of the Sword of Gryffindor. Goblins who work in artifacts have claimed to have seen it and taken it into their keeping. If this is true, it is attainable. We can kill Nagini. Sbe is the last horcrux. I don't know where he keeps her nowadays but if we can find the sword and the snake, we are closer to getting Voldemort."

"I wouldn' promise that, Harry." Hagrid said gloomily. "Even if you kill Voldemort, there'll be the Ministry an the Death Eaters still. They won' jus disappear."

"With their Master gone, a lot of them will run. We can bring our supporters out of hiding and they can help us make things as they were." Ginny said.

"Things will never be as they were." Luna said quietly. "The muggles know everything. They know we exist. They know what we're capable of. How will we ever convince them that wizards will not turn on them again?"

The room fell very silent.

An hour later, Hermione was in her room changing her clothing for the mission. She pulled a black sweater over her head when she felt someone behind her.

"Ron, don't sneak up on me like that." She said plainly, turning around.

"I don't like seeing you go." Ron said softly.

"I'll be fine." She said, kissing him on the nose. "This is one of the smaller jobs. I'll be back before you know it."

"I just can't wait until this is all over." Ron said, wrapping his hands around her waist and pulling her into him. "So it can be just the two of us."

"It is the two of us." Hermione said, smiling. "You moved in to this room a year ago."

"And I've never heard the end of it from my mother. She thinks we're making a mistake. She thinks you're going to end up like Luna." Ron shook his head.

"You're a grown man, you can do as you please." Hermione said. "She knows we wouldn't let that happen. Good thing I paid attention in Potions, wouldn't you say?"

"Do you ever think about it, though? Getting married? Having kids?" Ron asked.

"Ronald..." Hermione said softly. "There is a greater purpose right now and we need to fight and make things right before we do anything else."

"Yeah.." Ron said, nodding. "You do _want_ to marry me, right?"

Hermione pulled Ron down, placing her lips on his. "Yes.."

Ron rubbed the area below her navel, meeting his eyes with hers. She liked it. He flicked the button off her pants and let his right hand search lower until he found her warm spot. She breathed erratically into his ear as he let his fingers slide in circles around her core. She grasped at his pants and he shook his head, using his other hand to push hers aside. "No...just you."

Ron dug into her neck with his lips, making her moan lightly. He became rougher with his hand, making her hips buck forward. "Oh.. Ron.."

Biting her ear lightly, he slipped in and out, savoring the little noises he pulled from her throat. She was a woman now, and so eager to allow him below. Hermione felt a shock of pleasure run up her spine and groaned as she released. Her cheeks turned pink as Ron took his hand back and pulled her whole body into him.

"I love you, Hermione."

"I love you too." Hermione leaned into him and they embraced each other silently.

 **Later that night**

"Shhhhh come on." Hermione pulled a crying child into the back of a small truck. "Don't be scared.. come on. We're going to take you somewhere safe."

She looked back towards a large white building. Some of the older children were coming silently in groups, but the younger ones were harder to move. Ginny was carrying a two year old who was screaming her head off.

"How many left in the building?" Hermione asked, looking at the scared lot of orphans on the truck.

"Neville has another toddler. He says that's the last of them." Ginny answered before swinging her head to the side. There had been a huge bang from inside the building and a child screamed.

Pretty soon after, they saw Neville running with a three year old boy in his arms. He was pointing his wand behind him, sweat running down his face. "Death Eaters! Two of them!" He yelled.

"Stay in the truck. When Neville gets in, I close the doors and I want you to go immediately. I'll stay and hold them off."

"No, Hermione." Ginny shook her head.

"There's no time. Do as I say." She argued, jumping out of the truck just as Neville reached it, his ear bleeding.

"GO!" Hermione yelled to Mr. Weasley, flicking her wand at the truck.

The trucks door closed and the vehicle became invisible to the eye, although she knew it was still there. She heard the engine rumble and the wheels turn as it pulled away quickly. She turned around and deflected a curse that was thrown at her.

"Stupefy!" She shouted, standing her ground as the two Death Eaters appeared, moving out of the way.

"That a mudblood?" One of them said. "How dare you interfere?"

"With what? Stealing helpless children?" Hermione answered, stalling them as long as she could so the truck could get as far as possible.

"We don't have time for this. Cru-"

"Expelliarmus!" She cried, flicking her wand, disarming one of the Death Eaters.

The other one pointed his wand at her silently and sent a blast in her direction, which she stumbled backwards to avoid.

Desperately, she pointed her wand forward, sending flames through it to keep them at bay. "GET BACK!" She yelled.

"You go track down that truck! I'll take care of the mudblood." One of them shouted to the other.

Immediately, Hermione knew what she had to do. She threw a freezing curse at the man who was trying to get away, rooting him to the spot. She put her wand away and began to run at the Death Eaters, zigzagging to avoid the other ones attacks. When she was close enough, she grabbed both of them by their arms and closed her eyes, apparating all three of them out of the area.

 _That should buy them enough time._ She thought as she opened her eyes, to a wooded area that was covered in snow, with herself laid in it. Looking around her, she saw one of the Death Eaters, the one she had frozen before, lying down in the snow. She heard a countercurse being thrown at the frozen man and when she turned her head to find the other one, she felt as if she had been hit by a truck, and her head was thrown backwards. The death eater was standing above her, with his wand pointing directly at her face.

"Take her wand while I have her immobile!" That one shouted at the other.

Hermione shook violently as she attempted to reach her wand, but she couldn't. She felt it being torn from her pocket and pointed at her. She looked to one Death Eater and then to the other, trying to find a way out of this. But there wasn't one. She could feel branches wrapping themselves around her body and breathed in, trying not to panic.

"Seeing as we have her subdued, you think we should kill her or send her to the Ministry?"

"Well, we aren't getting those kids, are we? Better to show up with something rather than nothing. And there's something familiar about this mudblood now that I get a good look at her. Perhaps from one of the posters."

"You're right. We failed to get those kids, but if shes a wanted woman, it'll be forgotten."

"Of course she's wanted, look. Mudblood. I know one when I see one."

One of them kneeled down at her side, looking at her bound body and into her eyes. "Oh my dear, I don't envy you." He said before leaning forward and pointing his wand directly at her head. Then everything faded to black.

 **Present day**

Hermione was starting to feel weak. The water wasn't cutting it anymore, she needed food. She laid against the wall of the room and fell in and out of sleep, hoping this would end soon. She awoke hours later to the sound of voices outside the door.

"Five days? You imbeciles! First you fail to retrieve the orphans and then you tell me you've been keeping a wanted woman in this room for FIVE days without food?" The voice was furious, and it sounded familiar. "You'd better hope she is alive. The Dark Lord will have both your necks."

"We're really sorry about this-" The other voice argued.

"Shut up and open that door." The other voice shouted.

A click bounced off the walls and the door swung open, and Hermione tried to stand up but her body didn't allow her to. She was too famished and frightened to move. Her eyes squinted as she looked up to the three figures in the room. The two Death Eaters that she had fought were standing behind a man with long white blonde hair, and a walking cane. Something cracked within Hermione when she saw his face. This was a man she had seen before, many times.

"Dear me, you actually have found something." He said to the others. "This isn't just any mudblood. This is Hermione Granger. A close friend and ally of Harry Potter. I daresay this discovery will more than make up for your mishaps."

"Greetings, Miss Granger."

The man moved towards her and leaned down to take one of her blistered hands. "Lucius Malfoy.. Don't touch me. Don't come near me." She whispered, horrified.

He ignored her and took her hands into his, smoothing a potion onto them, which made the blisters go away. "You have been stripped of your wand. You cannot apparate out of here or anywhere else you will be taken. Do not try to fight or you will only worsen your situation. You will be fed, and cleaned up before being brought to the court."

"And why is that? Why don't you let me die here or just kill me now?" She asked softly.

"Because you are not mine to kill. The Dark Lord is the one that decides your fate."

"How comforting." She said as she was brought to her feet by the two masked men.

Lucius looked older, and his eyes were sunken in. He stared into hers for a moment before turning his back to her as he walked the group to a large room with a few tables and chairs lying about. The men dropped her into a seat and walked away. Lucius sat across from her, his eyes studying her movements.

"How did you manage to go so long without getting caught?" Malfoy asked, astonished.

"Well that's for me to know, don't you think?" Hermione said, looking defiantly at him. Her body wanted more than ever to roll back into slumber but she was resilient.

Lucius put one of his hands on the table and leaned in. "You will not take this attitude with the Dark Lord. You will answer all of his questions honestly and respectfully."

Hermione shook her head when her attention was brought to someone entering the room. It was a short, dark-haired muggle man in a long sleeve grey shirt. In his hands, he was carrying a tray. On the tray was a bowl of tomato soup, and a bread roll. The man didn't look at Hermione at all, but set the tray down in front of her and walked away without a word. She watched as he disappeared out of the doorway.

"Eat, Miss Granger." Lucius ordered.

She shook her head again, even though her insides screamed for her to obey. "Who was that?"

"Miss Granger!" Malfoy was losing his patience. "You are going to see the Dark Lord no matter what. You can go to him fed and untouched, or you can go to him starving and beaten within an inch of your life. The choice is yours."

Hermione glared at Lucius for several moments, breathing in the aroma of the soup. If there were any potions hidden, she would be able to smell them. But it seemed unlikely. She took the spoon and shoveled the hot liquid into her mouth, never removing her eyes from Malfoy. He didn't look away from her as she ate every last bit of food put in front of her. Her insides thanked her but her pride was injured. "Happy?"

"Hardly. You will bathe now." He said standing up.

Hermione stood on shaky legs and followed him down the hallway until they saw a room that had the word "ladies" on it. "Don't dawdle. You will find clean dressings in there waiting for you. I will be waiting out here. And before you try, we have already cast several spells on this entire buildings to stop those inside from getting out. You will not succeed. Bathe yourself, get dressed and come back out in a timely fashion."

"Harry saved your son's life, you know." She said, before disappearing into the room. She thought maybe he'd bust into the room after her for saying it, but he didn't. Looking around the room, she saw a couple stalls and an open shower. On the sink there was a grey dress, and it reminded her of the sweater she had used to disguise herself to go into town. Making her way over the shower, she turned the handle to make it run. The noise of water slapping against the floor resounded across the room, and she slid down the side of the wall into a sitting position.

The fear of what was happening came out in buckets now that she was alone. Covering her mouth with her hands, she let out a stifled cry. No one knew where she was and no one was coming for her. She was smart enough to know that she was going to be interrogated, and most likely tortured for information. She looked down at the scar on her arm. The one that spelled out "mudblood" that Bellatrix had carved into her a couple years ago. A few tears made their way down her cheeks as she looked up to the ceiling.

 _Be brave, Hermione._ Her mind called to her.

She stood up and yanked her filthy sweater off, throwing it aside.

After she bathed, she approached the grey dress at the sink, looking at it with disdain. She had worn this color so many times before, but only for disguise. This time it was real. Muggle born. Second class. They could force her to wear the dress, but she would not let it hurt her pride. She threw it over her head and made her way out of the door, with her head held high.

"Pull up the zipper for me, will you?" She said, turning her back to Lucius and lifting her hair, who looked furious at her for requesting such a thing of him. A purposeful move on her part.

"My pleasure." He said through gritted teeth as he pulled the tab roughly with his fingers until her back was covered. "Come along now."

"Yes, I would like to see the Dark Lord as soon as possible, actually." Hermione said, with almost a cheery tone.

"Spoken like a true fool." Lucius said, turning to lead her away.

Hermione gulped back her true emotions. "I'm not a fool. You know that, Lucius. I'm actually quite smart. I aced all of my classes at Hogwarts. I was a model student. Unlike Draco."

Before she could react, she felt the rough hand of Malfoy around her neck, pinning her to the wall with enough might to make her gasp.

"You will not wear my sons name on your tongue, you filthy little mudblood." He growled.

She gulped as he removed his hand from her neck, and then she managed a weak smile. "Temper, Mr. Malfoy. It is no wonder why Dobby was never loyal to you."

Lucius was no longer putting up the pretense of a gentleman. He grabbed her roughly by the back of her neck and pulled her away with him. Hermione was half-dragged over to a fireplace and Lucius placed his left hand on the wall next to it. When the protection around it faded, Lucius pulled her into it with him. She could not hear what he said before they were in another building. They passed several rooms until they came to a large room that looked much like a courthouse. The doors slammed behind them and she was released. Rubbing her sore neck, she looked around the room wearily.

"Where am I?" She said, turning to Malfoy.

Lucius ignored her, and pulled back his sleeve to reveal his mark. He touched it, closing his eyes. Hermione could hear the sounds of people apparating but it was not from within the building. She closed her eyes as she felt the billowing black clouds of Death Eaters begin to fill the room.

 _Don't let them see how scared you are._ Hermione's mind scolded her, and she opened her eyes, looking above her to the row of people before her. Voldemort's faithful followers were all dressed in black, although they did not wear their masks. Some of the faces she recognized from the past, but she was too focused on finding the one person who had caused the despair of millions. The one who had called for children to be taken from their beds, to the unknown.

And there he was, sitting right in the middle of the black-clad witches and wizards. With haunting eyes and slits for nostrils, Voldemort stood out. Hermione made eye contact with him and breathed in slowly. He broke eye contact as soon as he had looked at her.

"Why is it, Lucius, that you have summoned me and the court? I do not have time to deal with muggle cases, that is why I made it your job to deal with them."

"My Lord, please." Lucius walked to Hermione's side and gestured at her almost desperately. "I think if you will take a good look at this mudblood, you will realize why I've called all of you here today. I believe this one is of importance to you."

The Dark Lord rose from his seat, and Hermione was rooted to the ground as she saw him glide down to her level and walk towards her. She kept a straight face as he approached her, looking into her face to study it. He seemed skeptical at first but then seemed to realize that he had seen her face before.

Before he could say anything, she spoke with a calm voice. "Hermione Granger. My name is Hermione Granger."

"What luck." Voldemort breathed as he turned to his court. "It seems Lucius has brought before us the most wanted of mudbloods. A very close friend and ally of one Harry Potter."

The people in the row all became gleeful as they looked at her and turned to each other. All except for one. A young woman with long wavy blonde hair and lipstick too red for her face looked around gloomily with her grey-blue eyes. In her arms, there was a baby nestled against her breast. She looked to be about seventeen, too young to have a baby but all the same- Luna Lovegood was too young herself and that didn't stop it from happening. The woman merely just looked back and forth between Hermione and Voldemort, not saying a thing.

"I must say, we were hoping to catch Harry but I suppose you'll do. Because you, Miss Granger, can tell us where he is."

Hermione's jaw tightened and she shook her head. "I haven't seen him in over a year. We parted ways, actually, when him and my fiance got into an argument."

It was as if he could smell the lie coming off of her. "And who, might I ask, is your betrothed?"

It had never been official between the two of them, but there was an understanding that Ron and Hermione were going to stay with one another. She felt so far away from him now. But she couldn't give them his name. "Fred Weasley." She hated to use the name of the deceased, but she needed one that would be on a record.

The Dark Lord closed in on her face, and she instinctively backed away. She felt an invisible force push her forward toward him again, and she closed her eyes in defiance. Hermione could feel his cold, pale hand make it way around her chin as it tilted her face upward. "Look at me."

She closed her eyes tighter but then pulled them open. They were more furious than ever, looking up at him. She knew he was trying to looking into her mind, and she shut him out immediately. Harry may not have been grand at Occlumency, but she had taught it to herself over the past two years for good measure. She was relieved that she had. "You aren't telling the truth, Miss Granger. I know when I am being lied to."

Hermione was shoved backwards by her chin and she stumbled back, catching herself. Voldemort turned to the panel and spoke to them. "Shall we show miss Granger what happens to liars?"

Hermione looked to the witches and wizards all lined up, nodding their head in agreement. She tried to prepare herself mentally for pain, but there was a hardly a way to do it.

"Crucio!" His voice rang out, and his wand pointed directly at her.

It was as if her skin was over an open flame. She managed a few moments of silence before she began to cry out, throwing herself on her knees. Clawing at her skin, she could hardly think at all. Her mind was just as ablaze as the rest of her. Holding her head, she let out a scream that filled the room. It seemed to go on forever although it might have only been a couple minutes. And then.. nothing.

"Now, little woman, tell us where Harry Potter is."

"I speak the truth." A tear fell down her cheek, and landed on the floor. "You call yourself a merciful Lord, don't you?"

"I am only merciful with those who deserve it." He said, looking down at her. "A lying mudblood is not deserving of my good nature."

"You have no good nature." She croaked wearily.

"How dare you talk to the Dark Lord like this!" One of the Death Eaters shouted angrily.

Before she knew it, she was on her back, writhing in agony. Her mind prayed for it to stop, but her mouth would never divulge anything they wanted to hear. If this was how she died, so be it. After a couple minutes of this, it stopped yet again.

"WHERE IS HE?" Voldemorts voice bellowed as he looked down at her.

"I've told you I don't know. You might as well just kill me." She managed to choke out, the residuals of the curse making her body lame.

"No. You will not be permitted death until you tell me what I want to hear. I don't care how long it takes." Voldemort said reassuringly as he nodded to another. "Lucius.."

"My Lord." Lucius nodded respectfully to the Dark Lord, pulling a black leather glove onto his right hand. He moved toward Hermione and she flinched as he grabbed her onto her feet.

"After what happened to the Longbottoms, I do take care of how I use the Cruciartus curse. You can't use a brain that's been scrambled, you see." The Dark Lord said, black clouds forming around his feet as he was lifted back up to his spot among the Death Eaters.

"Bellatrix Lestrange.. I remember." Hermione said, lifting her arm to show him the scar that the woman had cut into years before. The one labeling her "Mudblood". "She delighted in harming others."

"I'm afraid my Bellatrix didn't know where to limit herself when it came to torturing those we need information from. But she was by far, the best and most loyal of my flock." Voldemort said aloud, almost as if to himself.

The blonde woman with the baby to his right looked at him, clearly disturbed by his choice of words. Her ruby lips trembled as she stood up with her offspring tightly against her. Her blonde hair fell around in waves as she slammed the chair away with her foot. She became a cloud of black smoke and Hermione's eyes followed her as she swiftly exited the room. The others looked around to each other in surprise and then to the Dark Lord.

"Rest assured, I will deal with _that_ later." He said to them lowly, much more focused on Hermione than his servant who had left without excusing herself.

"It appears someone else thinks they are the best and most loyal of your flock." Hermione said aloud, feeling reckless. If she taunted him, maybe he would kill her. Then he'd never get his information.

"Lucius.." The Dark Lord said almost tiredly.

Hermione was turned to face Malfoy. His gloved hand swung and connected with the side of her face, sending her flying to the ground again. The blow had temporarily deafened her, she could only see the faces around her laughing and jeering at her. She held her face, and tried to stand up but received a vicious kick to her side. The kick sent a jolt of pain through her body, but it seemed to bring back her hearing.

"Up." Lucius growled as he grabbed her roughly by her hair and yanked her up onto her feet. "That is enough of your wise cracks."

There was a ringing noise in Hermione's ears and her lip was bleeding. She wrung her hands together, and took a ragged breath in as she looked down at her scar again. _Mudblood._ The room spun a little as she became less sure of herself. The blow had put her body into shock, and she couldn't shake it off. She used what little power she had in her to raise her head again.

"Such endurance. Such bravery. You amuse me, girl. But my patience only runs so deep."

"You could kill me." She whispered. Though frightened of her own mortality, her mind repeated to her words she had heard from the Tale of Three Brothers. _And then he greeted Death, as an old friend, and they departed together as equals.._ It was then she thought of Ron. She prayed silently that he would move forward and find someone else to share his life with. That he would find happiness.

"Oh no. No, I'm afraid you won't be allowed to die just yet." Voldemort shook head before turning his eyes to Lucius. "Veritaserum, Lucius.. I grow tired of this. Shove the potion down her throat if you have to."

"Of course, my Lord." Malfoy nodded, turning to a wizard in the corner of the room who was standing guard. He nodded and excused himself from the room.

Hermione felt a panic begin to rise within her. The serum of truth could cause her to let everything slip. She looked around the room, looking for anything she could use to drive them away. But then the same man came through the door and whispered something to Lucius before exiting again. Hermione backed away.

Lucius took a moment before speaking. "It would seem that a plant needed for the creation of Veritaserum is out of season currently.. and our supplies have been exhausted."

Voldemort eyes were angrily red. "I want the one in charge of the potions storage room punished.. severely."

"Of-of course, my Lord. I will see to it myself." Lucius nodded. "And I'll see that more is made as soon as possible. Perhaps there are ingredients in some of our units. Should be no more than a couple months to get it made."

"A couple months..." Voldemort said darkly, scaring some of his followers around him. "I am very disappointed. I expect you to take full responsibility of getting this serum as soon as possible."

"Yes, my Lord." Lucius whispered. "I will dedicate myself to it."

"And you will also hold Miss Granger in your cellar in the meantime."

"My Lord?" Malfoy seemed thrown back by this suggestion.

"I need her mind. She cannot go to Azkaban, as it is too risky. The Dementors could kiss her, and all information will be lost. She must be kept somewhere safe where she can't escape. I deem your cellar fit to hold our prisoner. I want her alive but I do not want her to be comfortable. She must suffer for her crimes, Lucius. I will be making visits to your manor. Until we get the serum or she gives up the information, she will remain there."

Malfoy did not seem happy with this idea. He took a moment, looking over to Hermione angrily. She wiped the blood off her lip, and looked back at him before he agreed. "It will be done, my Lord."

"Good." Said Voldemort, rising from his seat. "This is finished.. for now."

Hermione met eyes with Voldemort and knew there was no way she was going to hand over her mind to this monster. _I have to get out. One way or the other._

((Thanks for reading the first chapter. Go easy on me, as its my first HP fic. Just read the books for the first time and was feeling the itch to write. Hope you liked.))


	2. Chapter 2: The Protected Muggles

**Chapter 2: The Protected Muggles**

A victorian house rested in the middle of a large green field overgrowing with weeds and grass. It was a big house, but old, with black panels and an uninviting gate. Inside the house was a shrine to Wizards long past. The paintings on the wall, which were all of very richly dressed men and women, argued with each other very loudly in Russian. Their arguments were interrupted by a shrill scream from a room up the hallway. The scream went on for a minute and then the voice delved into sobs.

Inside the room, a young woman clutched an ottoman with the top half of her body, the bottom half sprawled on the floor as she sobbed miserably into the cushion. Her blonde hair fell down her back and hips, glittering above her long black dress. To the right of the ottoman stood a sympathetic looking man with the same blonde hair, looking to her and the dark figure in the room.

"Stop your miserable crying, Veronika." The cold voice of Voldemort filled the room. "If I had known you were so pitiful.."

"Please, my Lord. My young-ere seester ees not vell." The blonde man said in a heavy Russian accent, bending down to touch her back.

"Well enough to make a mockery of my court, Rurik. You are just as guilty as she is. She's been spoiled and who was the one who did it?" He replied to the man, who backed off in silence. "She has no respect for anything I have done."

"I hev Salazar. Do you forget?" Veronika lifted her head off the cushion to speak, and her face was pale with red marks from crying, her lipstick was now a faded red. The girl from the courtroom was furious, but dispirited. It was obvious more than ever now, that this girl was young. Her brother Rurik put his hands nervously over the sides of his face, as the situation was clearly grating on him.

Voldemort glared down for a moment, and then spoke low in Parseltongue. _"I cannot make allowances for you, Veronika. You cannot hold anything above my head. Not even Salazar."_

The young witch wiped her eyes and took a deep breath before turning around. She was more frightened than angry with him, and so she acquiesced. Remaining on her knees, she slid forward on them a couple paces until she was at Voldemorts feet. Grabbing a fistful of his robes, she leaned forward so her lips met them, and then let them go, looking back up at him with her grey-blue eyes. Then she spoke back to him, in the same language. _"Forgive me, Master, for my mistakes. You are right. I am a jealous, spoiled creature. And you are such a patient, benevolent teacher. I do not deserve you."_

This act of contrition seemed to calm the Dark Lord's anger. _"Still just a child yourself, at times. I am not without understanding. You are forgiven."_ He continued to speak to her in the snake language, running his hand over her blonde waves. _"But we must try not to forget our place. You are one of my most prized servants; do not force my hand again."_

Veronika shook her head and he walked over to the other side of the room, where her baby was in his bassinet. Surprisingly undisturbed by the screams and cries of his mother, he slept peacefully. The Dark Lord reached down and scooped up the child. The boy was only a few months old, and he had dark hair and eyes. Voldemort looked at the baby as if appraising him like one would a house or a car, rather than a child who needed love and affection.

" _Growing well, Salazar. He is a fine boy of good ancestry. The product of two Parseltongues. An heir of Slytherin."_ He said proudly, making the young mother smile.

" _He will be a great Wizard as his father is, My Lord."_ Rurik answered, also in Parseltongue.

The Dark Lord had not been seeking out other Parseltongues when he met them, but was oddly pleased when he was able to converse in it with the man next to him upon crossing his path in a small town in Russia. He had liked being alone in his gift, but when he met Rurik he knew he wanted to bring the others to his side. The pureblood wizard Rurik was in his late twenties, and was already the head of his house, as his parents had passed years before.

When he introduced Voldemort to his younger sister, who was only fifteen at the time, Voldemort knew what she was going to do for him. She was a popular girl at the Russian Wizarding school she went to and was wiser than her marks would reflect. After recruiting the two of them as Death Eaters, he made sure to give the girl special attention, tutoring her in the Dark Arts when he had the time. He ordered Rurik to hire a teacher to finish her schooling at home, away from the other people her age. At first she was petrified of the Dark Lord because of his look, but had eventually fallen for his charismatic ways and was not objecting to the special attention she was being given, as she was feeling lonely.

A couple months before she turned seventeen, the Dark Lord told Rurik to send her teacher away; that she was ready to fulfill her duty to him. The doting brother was reluctant to stop his sister's schooling one year early, and even more opposed to what her duty was. _She is going to be a mother, Rurik. Veronika is going to be giving me the greatest service, and bear a child of my likeness. Let her fulfill her duty to me, and the both of you will be rewarded._ He had tried to convince Voldemort to wait a little longer, saying she wasn't ready. Butof course, there was no refusing the Dark Lord even under the pretense of choice. And so Rurik gave his blessing, though sickened with himself. When Veronika was called upon and asked to take on the duty, her face fell for a few moments, but then her lips curled into a smile. _Of course._

Voldemort turned and handed over the infant to Veronika, and she looked down. _"Please stay."_

He shook his head. "I have things I have to attend to."

Veronika looked disappointed, but nodded her head. She knew deep down that she would never have the traditional life she craved.. a husband who came home every day to her and showered her with sweet kisses. Marriage had not even been part of the discussion when her fate was decided, and she refused to ask why. She closed her eyes and thought of all the sweet, attentive boys from school and she missed them. Putting these thoughts out of her mind, she brought her childs head up to her lips, and watched as the Dark Lord disappeared.

 **Headquarters, five nights earlier**

The common room at Headquarters was quiet. Molly paced back and forth around the room, talking to herself.

"Why are they so late getting back? It's almost morning."

Minerva was sitting nearby on one of the couches, reading a book and occasionally looking up with pity. Mission nights were hard on those who stayed behind. "Would you like some tea, dear?"

"Oh.. no, thank you, Minerva. I couldn't possibly get anything down right now."

A few moments later, there were footsteps outside the door and in came Mr. Weasley, Ginny, and Neville. Molly rushed to her husband, taking his face in her hands and kissing his cheeks. Ginny stood there somberly as she was next in line for her mothers affections. Neville looked at the floor.

Their presence must have been felt around the house because people started coming down the stairs to greet them. Minerva had a smile on her face, but her face dropped when she seemed to realize there was something amiss.

Ron was bounding down the stairs last, half- awake. When he reached the bottom, he seemed the realize how silent the room had become. He looked around to everyone and then to Ginny and Neville.

"Where's Hermione? Is she behind?" Ron asked, certain that she must have just been the last to apparate back.

Neville covered his mouth with his hand. Mr. Weasley walked towards his son, and his sister looked right into his eyes. "Dad?"

"I'm sorry, Ron. Hermione went after a couple Death Eaters who had caught up to us." Mr. Weasley held onto Ron's arm because he could see the young man was becoming weak. "We tried to apparate back to the location where she jumped off but she was gone, and so were they."

"No.." Ron shook his head. "She'll be here. She has to be okay. Hermione is smart, she'll be two steps ahead of them."

"Ronald.." Mr. Weasley said calmly, trying not to get upset. Almost everyone in the room had tears in the corners of their eyes.

"H-Hermione.." Ron stammered as he walked over to the stairs.

"If I had known she was going to do it..She did it so the kids could get away. She saved them. All of them." Neville finally spoke.

Harry had caught up with Ron, also clearly very shaken. The three of them had been so close for so long, that it all seemed very impossible. Hermione was the one always getting them out of trouble. She was the brains of the group. He put his hand on Ron's shoulder. "If she's okay we'll find her, Ron."

"Don't say if.. Don't say that.." Ron crumbled, his speech becoming softer. "I told her I was gonna marry her."

Molly had started to cry out loud, and there were silent tears running down the cheeks of McGonagall, hitting the pages of her book.

Ron ran up the stairs and to his room as fast as he could, to get away from everyone. He threw open Hermione's dresser and flung articles of her clothing onto their bed. He laid next to the pile of her clothes, and pulled it into his chest, feeling his insides burn and crack as images of his first and only love wheeled through his mind.

 **Malfoy Manor**

Hermione was laying on her side, on the floor of her prison. Holding her bruised ribs, she coughed. Lucius Malfoy was standing over her, and pulled his foot back for the fifth time. She flinched, preparing herself for another kick. But then he put his foot down.

"This will be your little slice of heaven for the next month or so, so make yourself at home." He said cruelly. "I did warn you about your attitude, you know, you could have been spared a lot of pain if you had just made the Dark Lord happy."

Hermione didn't say anything at all. She merely looked up at Lucius with glossy eyes, her body still as ever. Her chest rose and fell slowly, in a rhythmic pattern.

"Well, it seems we have an understanding then. Good night, miss Granger." He said, moving to leave.

She heard the slam of the door and the voice of a young woman as he made his way up the stairs, but she ignored it. Staring into the barred door, her mind was blank. Should she cry? Should she grieve? Should she scream?

Laying for what seemed like hours, with no energy at all, sleep did not find her. Several hours later, she heard footsteps coming down the stairs. Her eyes watched the figure come down the stairs, but her body did not respond to the intrusion. There stood a man with long blonde hair that was pulled back, with nice black robes and sharp features. She just stared at him, not moving.

"Hermione Granger. What the bloody hell are you doing here?" Came the voice of Draco Malfoy. But it didnt sound angry, it sounded hesitant. Almost sad. "What did they do?"

She didn't answer him at all, and continued to just stare at him with wide eyes. She wasn't sure what to make of his presence, and was far too within herself to say anything. This seemed to upset him, because he put his hand up to his forehead.

"Did they take you to the court?" When he realized she was too in shock to say anything, he shook his head before retreating up the stairs.

She laid there, still within herself, when after a few minutes that he was gone, she fell asleep.

She awoke several hours later to the sound of little feet approaching the barred door. She looked and saw there was a young boy there, no older than eight. He wore a grey outfit and his black hair was messy, his eyes frightened but curious. "What's your name?" He asked.

"Hermione.." She said weakly, her voice strained from the previous day. She lifted herself to sit slowly. "And you are?"

"Mosley." The boy replied. "Are you hurt?"

Hermione looked down at herself and then looked to him and shook her head. "I'm okay." She faked a little smile for the young boy.

"Mosley!" A young woman's voice called down to him angrily. "You aren't supposed to be down here! Get out and go water the plants like you've been told or you're in for it!"

The boy took off so fast, he was like a blur in Hermione's eye. She watched as the owner of the other voice came down the stairs. There was a woman at the door. She had her black hair tied back, but a few wild strands hung over her face. Hermione could not distinguish the womans age just by looking, but she was certainly not a day over thirty. The grey dress she wore was elbow length and billowed from her waist to her feet, on which she wore plain brown shoes. There was an apron that used to be white wrapped around her waist. Her green eyes had red rings around them and she looked at Hermione as if she would catch something from her. She bent down next to the barred door, and put a small bowl of oatmeal down.

"Hello." Said Hermione quietly. "Thank you."

The woman turned around and made her way up the steps when Hermione called to her, seemingly having found her voice. "Please, who are you?"

She looked back at Hermione before continuing up the stairs.. and then she was gone.

 _She was pleasant._ Hermione thought to herself. _Why are there muggles in the Malfoy house? Surely they wouldn't want to employ non magical folk._

She let the thought stew for a while, and it brought her to dark places. There had also been the muggle man at the place where they had held her before. It was as if she already knew the truth but didn't want to admit it to herself. Eating a few bites of the cold, awful oatmeal in front of her, she sighed. Hermione knew she was going to have to face things she hadn't wanted to believe were true.

When Lucius Malfoy came down the stairs hours later, she was sitting down and scratching numbers into the stone on the wall. She turned to see him, and put her hands in her lap, waiting for him to speak.

"I suppose there's been no change of heart today." He said. "No wish to make things easier for yourself?"

"You seem to know me well already." Hermione said calmly, returning to her scratching of the wall. "Tell me, please, who was the girl who brought me food earlier?"

"Either Mary or Thea." Lucius said, as though thinking out loud. "No matter. You-"

"There are two, then?.." Hermione interrupted, shaking her head as she carved a zero with her nail. "She had black hair."

"Did Thea say something to you? Why such interest in her?" Lucius queried.

"She seemed oddly silent. Almost as if she was afraid of me." Hermione said before putting her hands back in her lap. "Why are there muggles in your home, Mr. Malfoy? I thought you didn't like them."

"Well.." said Lucius shaking his head amusedly at her. "You don't have to necessarily like them, do you? There are a lot of things one doesn't like. But how else are things going to get done around here?"

Hermione stood up and made her way over to him, wrapping her hands around the bars that separated them. "Man like you can afford a decent salary for a couple muggles to scrub your mansion, of course."

Lucius Malfoy smirked, knowing her statement was more or less a question. "What use is there of galleons to a muggle, miss Granger?"

Hermione breathed out audibly as he continued.

"I preferred house elves myself seeing as it takes a couple muggles to do the same job, and they possess no magical ability whatsoever. But those ingrates, those elves, had their chance and proved themselves untrustworthy. Not fit to be a part of the Dark Lord's future."

"Stop talking. Please stop talking." Hermione was shaking with anger. The eradication of house elves had been a tragedy, and it made her think of Kreacher back at base, who was too old to understand that most of the others were gone.

"It seems I've struck a chord, have I? Draco had mentioned your insatiable love for those creatures years ago. The way you made that group and tried to recruit others.. for the liberation of elves, yes? How cute. What a naive, stupid little girl."

"I'd rather be a stupid little girl than be part of Voldemort's sick, corrupt world." Her teeth were clenched as she spoke.

Lucius hit the barred door with his cane, and the loud crack echoed off the walls. Hermione stepped back, and continued to look at him with disgust.

"No respect for the Dark Lord, even after he allows you to live. I think a little fasting should sort you out. I must admit to you I have had a change of heart, miss Granger. I like muggles just the way they are now." Malfoy stated before turning and leaving Hermione alone. "Enjoy your solitude."

And for the first time since she was brought here, Hermione wept. She wept for the house elves; she wept for the muggles. But she did not weep for herself.

Nobody came to her for the rest of that day or and most of the next, except for when Thea would bring a glass of water without speaking. She kept herself busy by carving words into the walls with her nails, which had begun to chip and bleed. Hermione was hungry, but she tried not to dwell on it. To keep her alive, food would have to be brought. She had much more problems at hand.

That night, she heard the voices of two people talking upstairs. A man and a woman.

"Are you certain he's gone?"

"Yes, he'll be gone for most of the night. You can take it down."

Soon after that, she heard footsteps coming down the stairs. When she looked up, she saw a muggle girl who looked to be the same age as her, if not a couple years younger. She wore the same grey dress with an apron as Thea did, but she was much more tidy. She had a friendly smile as she looked at Hermione.

"Hello." She said as she took the last step. "I've brought you something to eat."

Hermione looked at the tray she managed to squeeze through the bars. There was warm chicken and vegetables, and some pudding. "Thank you. This looks really nice."

"Of course, just don't mention it to anyone. I'll have to stay and take the dinnerware back after you're done." The girl said, sitting down on the last step. "I'm Mary."

"I'm Hermione." she answered, sitting down on the floor and taking up the plate of food in her hands. "You don't have to bring me food if you aren't supposed to."

"Please, eat. Young Master Malfoy wanted you to have this, too. But don't mention that, either."

"Draco.." Hermione whispered, remembering his face when he discovered her in his family's cellar. He hadn't been there since, and she figured it was because he couldn't stand to see her. She bit into the chicken, savoring it. She probably wouldn't get another meal like this again. "Mary?"

"Hm?"

"How did you end up here?"

Mary shook her head. "I'm not supposed to talk to you, Hermione. I'm not even supposed to be down here."

"I'm sorry.." Hermione frowned and looked down to her food, letting the sweetness of the pudding rest on her tongue for a moment before swallowing.

"But I suppose since I'm here.." Mary started, flattening down her dress as she spoke. "A year and a half ago my father was taken to the Ministry after hiding the both of us for a several months. He was a muggle born wizard, and a single father. Mum died having me, and so he was my only family. So when he was put before the court, I was there by his side. They sent him to Azkaban.."

"I'm so sorry, Mary." Hermione said, putting down her bowl.

"The Ministry had already decided that the spouses and offspring of mudbloods would not be released back into muggle territories. Too much of a liability, I suppose. I had no crimes to speak of and no magical gift. And so the court made the decision for me that I would become a protected muggle."

"A protected- what?" Hermione leaned in closer to the bars, listening harder.

Mary began to pull back the sleeve of her dress until her shoulder was showing. On her shoulder, there was a mark that looked like a tattoo. It wasn't very big; it had a diamond shape and on the inside of the diamond there was an eye. "This mark makes it so that Wizards.. especially Death Eaters know that I serve one of their own. They will leave me and the others like me be."

The woman seemed to think she was being spared. "But you.."

"I know what I am, Hermione. You don't have to say it out loud. We all know. But we live to the best of our ability. You have to make the best of what you have, don't you? If I wanted to be as miserable as Thea, I would be." She shook her head at herself, "I shouldn't have said that. That's horrible."

"Thea is the other woman."

"Yes.. and Mosley is her son. She married young to a pureblood wizard. That didn't go over well with the Ministry. They told him to abandon the both of them or go to prison. He refused. But he didn't make it to prison. He went out fighting."

"That's horrible."

"Indeed it was. They were trying to separate her from her son when Master Malfoy stepped in. I reckon he had pity somewhere in his heart to do something like that."

"Yes.. I suppose. Maybe. How many others are there?"

"There weren't many at the beginning. But there's a bunch now since the takeover. We're forbidden from assembling, but myself and some of the others have worked it out that we go to town on the same day."

"Diagon Alley? You can go there?"

"Some of us are approved to travel by bus. There's a couple of towns we can go to by ourselves for errands. I do most of the shopping. Food, Parchment, you know. It gives me a chance to get away for a couple hours, mostly. This can be a very stressful place."

"This is all a lot to take in." Hermione said, rubbing her temples.

"I'll stop talking, then, since I shouldn't have started." Mary said sweetly, putting a hand through the bars on Hermione's shoulder before standing up and reaching through the bars to grab the dinnerware. When she was halfway up the stairs, she turned back around.

"I go tomorrow. To Diagon Alley. If you would like, I can bring you back a bottle of butterbeer or something. The old wizard who runs one of the pubs down there serves us out the back window. He's very sweet to me."

"That's nice of you. I'm assuming the illustrious Lucius Malfoy isn't counting change when you return." Hermione said half-jokingly, thinking it was odd to be talking about butterbeer after such an awful conversation.

Mary was smiling. "No. I suppose he isn't."

"Mary?" A confused and anxious sounding voice came from upstairs. "Draco?"

"Shit.." Mary muttered to herself before fleeing up the stairs.

"Draco?" The voice came louder. "Where is my son? Mary, where is he?"

"Mistress, please. Your son is out. He will return." Came the soothing voice of Mary.

"I have to find him, I have to tell him something. Where is my wand?" Hermione had figured out by now that the woman she was hearing was Narcissa Malfoy. She sounded so panicked, it made Hermione's insides jump. She leaned her ear as close to the stairs as she could so she could hear better.

"Ma'am.." Hermione could hear the clink of the dinnerware being set down. "Surely, it can wait. Your wand is in the shop, remember? Master Malfoy took it there himself to be cleaned."

"I SUPPOSE HE TOOK THE FLOO POWDER TO THE SHOP TOO!" Narcissa wailed, and there was a thud like something was thrown on the floor.

"Mistress, that was your favorite one.. lucky if its not broken.. Come now.. let's get you back to bed." Mary's voice was strong but gentle.

"Mother?" As if he had been summoned by her outrage, there was Draco. "What's going on?"

"My son! Oh, you must do something for me. You must take this note to my sister, your Aunt Bella. I can't risk it being read by anyone else- especially your father." The woman cried.

"Mother.." Draco had a sad voice. "I've told you several times, Aunt Bella died. Two years ago."

"Stop it, Draco, stop it. That's not funny!" Her voice became loud. "That's your father coming through you! You're just like him! You're horrible!"

There was stomping and crying coming from upstairs and finally she heard a door slam. And then everything became silent. She leaned against the bars, trying to make heads or tails of the situation upstairs. After a couple hours of this, she fell asleep.

…..

It was morning at the mansion, and Lucius walked down the stairs of his home, the clicking of his cane drawing attention to him. He had stubble on his chin, and a tired look in his eye. Having been up half the night trying to find a certain plant for the Veritaserum from a unit in Spain, he was unsuccessful and wiped out. He made his way into the dining room and sat himself at the head of the table.

He took out a piece of parchment and a quill and began to write when Thea came strolling through the room. Without speaking, she placed a fork and knife and a napkin neatly next to him. Leaving the room and then returning, she placed a hot mug of coffee and a newspaper on the other side of him. He ignored her as she just continued on setting one more spot at the table and then leaving the room again.

When she returned, she was holding two red hot plates of eggs and sausages. After setting one down on the opposite side of the table she approached him and stopped, waiting for him to set his stuff aside. After a minute he sighed, and with a flick of his wrist, his quill put itself away in the opposite side of the room and placed the parchment in his pocket. Thea put his plate down in front of him and rubbed her red hand on her dress as she backed up into the wall behind her, as she did every morning, and stared at the wall opposite her.

"Where's the boy?" Lucius asked nonchalantly, making her turn her head.

"Outside, sir. Feeding the birds."

"Peacocks." He said, sipping his coffee and opening his paper.

"Peacocks." She repeated. "Mosley does like caring for them."

"Good. Thea, I am expecting a very important visitor within the next week." He looked up from his paper. "I can't have my help looking like that. Try not to look as if you've been sleeping in a barn, will you?"

Thea looked at her dirty apron and brought a hand up to her hair, which was a little greasy from cooking. "Of course, Master Malfoy. Who might I ask is your guest?"

"The Dark Lord himself, as busy as he is." Malfoy said, turning back to his paper. "I expect you to put the boy away when he is here."

"Yes, sir." She said quietly.

"Ah, Draco." Lucius smiled as his son walked into the room and sat on the opposite side of the table, where food was placed for him. "I didn't see you yesterday. How's work?"

"It's work." Draco was eating his food, avoiding the conversation.

"Well, if you ever get bored with it-"

"What? I can come and run that muggle-case court with you? Don't make me laugh."

"Don't talk to me like that, boy." Lucius sneered. "You may be a grown man, but I am still your father."

"If you want me to respect you as a father, take care of Mother."

Lucius looked hurt by this statement. "How dare you accuse me of neglecting your mother. I have done no such thing."

"She isn't getting better, Father. She had a tirade last night, and broke one of her necklaces. She keeps asking for Bellatrix, and then gets upset at me when I tell her the truth."

"It is not my fault that she's not well." Lucius replied.

"But it is your decision to keep her here, which is making things worse. She knows that you took her wand and locked away the Floo Powder. She's found out more than enough times that you enchanted the door to not allow her passage outside. You think she wouldn't notice it leads back into the house?"

Lucius stood up quickly, which made Thea who was close by flatten herself against the wall. "What would you have me do? HM?" He threw the paper down.

"Well, let's see, you could check her into St.-"

"NO.." Lucius' voice boomed off the walls. "..wife of mine is being sent to that establishment!"

"Then find another healer and bring them here!" Draco yelled. "We can't just keep giving her that drowsing potion."

"I've heard enough." Lucius made his way for the dining room door. "I won't be told how to run my house by my own son."

"Your pride is staggering, old man." Draco said.

Mr. Malfoy quickly pointed his wand at the chair Draco was sitting in and it flew backwards into the wall. Draco had been prepared for this, as he got up just in time. He raised his own wand, throwing a disarming curse, successfully at his father. Thea had already hid under a table that was against the wall, with her arms wrapped around her legs when Lucius grabbed Draco with both of his hands, slamming him against the wall. Draco pointed his wand at his father's neck. It was at this point both of them realized they weren't going to continue fighting.

Draco pulled a letter from his pocket and shoved it into his father. Lucius let go of Draco and left the room with the letter, picking up his cane as he did.

Draco caught his breath as he looked around the room. He saw Thea in her hiding spot still as a doll and shook his head, picking up the chair that had been flung and placing it back. "I'm sorry for that." He said out loud before leaving the room.

Meanwhile, Lucius had made his way up the stairs and to a bedroom door that was ajar as he read the letter.

 _Bellatrix,_

 _I know why you've been away for so long but we are sisters and I need you more than ever. I don't know how long I've been inside my house, but I believe I am being held hostage. I think my husband has been giving me memory-altering potion. I often forget things have happened or didn't happen, and the days have fallen into each other. I don't know what Lucius is up to, but my wand is gone and I need help. I need you. I'm sorry for what happened in the Forbidden Forest all that time ago. My son means the world to me, and I did what I thought was best at the time. Haven't I paid enough for it? Please come and get me. I love you._

 _Cissy_

He sighed, tucking the letter away, before pushing the door open with his cane. Sitting in her room, there was Narcissa, speaking quietly in her nightdress. Mary was there, running a brush through his wife's blonde hair, that now had a few greys.

"Good morning, Master Malfoy." Said Mary, finishing up.

"Lucius.." Narcissa's blue eyes met with his. "I heard yelling. You and my son aren't fighting again, are you?"

"No.. no, my dear." He said. "Mary, I would like to be alone with my wife for a few moments."

"Of course, sir." Mary nodded, leaving the room.

Malfoy entered the room, and walked over to Narcissa. Leaning his head down, he pulled her chin up so he could kiss her cheek. She smiled at him. "My necklace is broken. It was fine yesterday and when I went to pick it up today, it was broken." She turned it back and forth in her lap.

"That's odd." Said Lucius, dropping his cane and taking her hands into his as he took a knee next to her. He knew, of course, that it was her own doing. "But no matter; I'll take it somewhere to be fixed."

"I'll take it, my love, no point in sending you out. You're busy." She said, kissing him on the nose and looking into his eyes.

"You're ill, Narcissa. See, you've hardly eaten." He gestured to a plate nearby that was still full. Wrapping his hand around the broken necklace, he put it in his pocket. "Busy or not, you're first priority."

"Such a gentleman, my husband." Narcissa stroked a strand of his hair.

"I would do anything for you. You know that?" He said, looking directly into her eyes as he kissed her hands.

"Lucius.." She gave him a funny smile. "You're shameless."

"Yes.. Perhaps I am." He said, leaning upward to kiss her lips. "Eat your food, my love, the only way you're going to get better is if you eat."

"I feel better already." She smiled at him as he picked up his cane and stood up.

He looked back at her one more time before leaving the room.

"Is everything okay, Master Malfoy?" Mary's small voice asked after he closed the door.

He took a breath in through his nose and wiped at a tear that had formed in his eye before he turned to look at the young brunette. "Never mind. You are going to Diagon Alley today, no?"

"Yes, sir."

His hand hovered over the necklace in his pocket for a moment. Hesitant to trust anyone else with such a great heirloom, he left the task for himself. Instead he pulled out the list he had made that morning and handed it over to her. She nodded to him, tucking it away in her apron.

"Make sure you get my wife everything she needs, so she won't wander. Thea will take over for you when you leave the house. We don't need another episode like last night, do we? The password to get through the front door is on that paper."

Mary looked saddened. "Of course, sir.. Please, may I speak freely?"

Lucius just looked at her.

"The young master was saying that there's a new healer that moved in just a few minutes away from Diagon Alley that hasn't looked at my mistress yet. If I bring the woman here-"

"If you leave Diagon Alley, you will be picked up by patrol. You know this."

"Yes, sir, but if you were to give me special permission-"

"I don't." He interjected. "I myself will find someone to see my wife and it won't be some hack near Diagon Alley. That is enough of this foolishness. You will do your shopping and you will return here, as instructed."

"Of course I will. I am bound to your word, Master Malfoy." Mary said in a cheery tone, that said she didn't agree with him, but would do as he said.

Lucius gave her a dirty look before he turned to leave.

….

 _Too much time to wonder. I wonder if Ron is coping well. I wonder if Luna is having her baby. I wonder if Harry is making progress finding the sword of Gryffindor, or if he will allow my disappearance to hinder his search. I hope not. There is so much more at stake here than me. There needs to be an end to this. I wonder if my parents in Australia are affected greatly by the takeover. I hope they are keeping themselves safe. I miss them. But getting a hold of them would be risky. They are still under the memory charm I put on them ages ago. They don't know I exist, and so I would keep it that way. How Voldemort managed to spread his rule as far as he has is more impressive than I would like to admit. I guess a lot of the Wizards around the world really wanted muggles to know of them, they wanted to live above them but didn't have a strong enough leader to push things in that direction. They have that leader now. I wonder how many regret it._

Hermione pushed up from being on her back when she heard someone coming. Standing up, she approached the bars. At first, she saw long blonde hair and assumed it was Lucius, but when he approached she saw that it was Draco. He came closer, looking at her with a soft expression.

"Hey." He said quietly.

"Hi." She didn't know what else to say. She felt anger run up her spine. He had always been the one to give her trouble in school, and tease her about being muggle born. He had become a Death Eater, and she knew there was no resigning from that position.

"Hermione.." He started. "I only have a few moments."

"Well, you should make it quick then." She said, looking straight at him as he let his eyes meet the ground and then make their way back to her.

"I never wanted to see you like this." He whispered. "I've never wanted any of this."

"Are you certain? I'm pretty sure you've made it seem, at times, that you would like no more than to see me like this."

"I was a child, Hermione. I was being shaped into a Death Eater from the moment I was born. I wanted what my father wanted. Glory for Wizards, and my own legacy."

"And did you get that?" Hermione lifted an eyebrow.

"Even if I had, I don't think it would have made me very happy." He said, reaching through the bars to touch her arm. "I have seen some horrid things, Hermione. I've been made to do awful things."

"What do you want me to say, Draco?" She shook her head.

"Just.. let me help you." Draco said. "I can send a letter for you. To the others."

Hermione looked at Draco intensely as he averted his gaze. She put her hand through the bars and lifted his chin to look into his eyes. "Draco, I can't trust you. I _don't_ trust you. This might be some elaborate plan to get me into giving Harry up."

"I owe him my life." Draco said, pressing his hand up against the one that was on his chin, taking it in his. "I want to help."

"Then find a way to get me out of here, Draco." She whispered.

He seemed hesitant, as he dropped her hand from his. "If I do that while you are here, the Dark Lord will kill everyone in the house. My father and mother, the girls, the little boy, and myself. It doesn't matter how good of standing we've been in as of late. There were mistakes made at the battle of Hogwarts, see."

"He won that battle."

"Yes. But he doesn't forget. My mother told him that Harry Potter was dead after she inspected him, even though he wasn't. A crime not so easily forgiven."

Hermione became silent for a moment before speaking in a low tone. "I'm sorry, Draco. I simply cannot trust you even though I want to. There's too much at risk."

She watched as Draco backed away from the door and disappeared without saying another word.

 **Headquarters**

"Anything yet?" Ginny plopped herself next to Harry on his bed. He was staring into the ceiling, not paying too much attention to what was going on around him.

"No. Our sources don't really have too much information regarding muggles that have already been caught or killed." Harry said, turning to her. "How is Ron holding up?"

"He locked himself in his room and hasn't really come out." Ginny said, removing a hair from her face. "He's devastated."

"Yes, well I can understand. If I feel like I've just lost another arm, I can only imagine Ron feels worse than that."

"Are you going to follow that lead? The one for the sword?" She asked, putting her head on his chest.

"I suppose I'll have to. I have no other leads. If I can get the sword, we can change things. Hermione would have wanted that."

"Please don't talk about her like she's already dead." Ginny said sadly.

"If she was caught by Death Eaters, Ginny, I'm not optimistic." He covered his face with his hand for a moment.

"I'm sorry, Harry, I realize this is hard for you. You were all such great friends."

Harry leaned his head toward her and kissed her on the forehead. "You were her friend, too. We all were."

Ginny sighed. "Well, I'll go with you. Two heads."

"Three." A voice said at the door. "Three heads."

They both sat up to find a rough looking Ron at the door, with a nasty look in his eye. "I want to leave as soon as possible. Hermione might still be alive, and that sword is our chance of getting her back."

Ginny and Harry looked at each other and then back to Ron, before nodding in agreement.

Ron turned away and walked down the hall. _I'm not giving up, Hermione._


	3. Chapter 3: His Word

**Chapter Three: His Word**

 **Malfoy Manor, May 1998 after the Battle of Hogwarts**

"Draco!" A high pitched voice echoed through the halls of Malfoy Manor. "My love, we don't have time!"

Narcissa Malfoy clicked through the dining room, dragging a big case behind her. "Draco! Finish packing now! We don't have long!"

The front door of the house opened, and Lucius came through. His face was very pale and tired looking, and there was slight limp in his walk, which he used his walking cane to remedy. His long blonde hair hung over half his face. Narcissa stood across from him, next to her case and breathed in slowly, not saying anything.

"Narcissa.." Lucius said, his eyes flicking over to her packed case. "What are you doing?"

"I- I have to go." She said, having a hard time meeting his eyes. "I'm going to take Draco with me. You understand."

"I most certainly do not understand." Lucius had a growl to his voice. "I have been talking to the others, to see what they've heard. We don't know for sure that he suspects you."

"Of lying?" Narcissa shook her head, her fingers picking at the fabric of her robes. "It's what happened, Lucius. I lied."

"Why?" Lucius hissed, taking a few more steps forward.

"Draco.. I wanted to get to Draco. I wanted to go get him. I'll do anything to protect him."

"As will I, Narcissa." He said, shaking his head.

"DRACO! Come downstairs now!" Narcissa yelled, before picking up her case.

Lucius took another step forward, with a warning look in his eye. "You cannot leave, Narcissa. To leave would be to admit guilt."

"If I stay, he'll kill me. And who's to say he won't kill Draco? Or you."

"Narcissa, I am not going to let that happen."

"Mother?" Draco stood in the doorway.

"Draco, sweetheart, meet me by the gate I'll be out in just a moment. Okay?" Tears were welling up in her eyes and her voice had gone up a tone.

"Draco, disregard that. You are to go upstairs and unpack." Lucius said sternly.

"Lucius, please.." Narcissa said, "Don't make this difficult."

Draco stood there, unsure of what to do. He watched as his mother tried to get past his father, only for him to block her path.

Lucius spoke in a low tone. "You are not going to take my son and leave."

The tears were starting to come to her face. "Lucius, my love, if I leave with him you can always say I did it without your knowledge-"

"NO!" Lucius hollered, causing Narcissa to take a couple steps back. He pointed his wand at her case and it flew from the room, spilling some of the contents as it went.

"Draco. Outside. Now." Narcissa said, pulling out her wand and pointing it at her husband.

Draco darted outside with his case in his hands, leaving his quarreling parents behind.

"Expelliarmus!" He shouted, pointing his wand at her. Her wand flipped out of her hands and she looked at Lucius with wide eyes as he approached her, closing her in against the wall.

"Let me go, damn you!" She yelled frantically.

Lucius grabbed her wrist and pulled down the sleeve of her gown, revealing the Dark Mark on her arm before making her look at it. "There is NO running, Narcissa Malfoy. You are a marked Death Eater. You cannot hide from him! None of us can! He'd find you before you got anywhere. Don't you see?"

He let go of her wrist, and his blue eyes locked with hers. She lifted a shaky hand to her chin, looking paler than ever. "I'm going to die." She whispered miserably. "I'm going to be killed and there's nothing I can do about it."

Lucius melted at his wife's words, throwing his hands around her face affectionately. "Oh, Narcissa, no.. I'm not going to let that happen. I would never. I vowed many years ago to protect you and I will do just that."

Her eyes narrowed on his. "You can't protect me from _him_."

"I can and I will." Lucius growled. "You and Draco are everything to me. I have a plan."

 **Malfoy Manor, present**

The marks on the wall counted eight. Eight days since Hermione had been put into the cellar of Malfoy Manor. There had been a few visits from the muggle girl Mary, who hid treats and one time a butterbeer in the skirts of her dress for Hermione, which had made her laugh. Mary had become somewhat of a friend to her even though she couldn't come down often. When she did come down, things got tolerable for Hermione. To be able to talk to someone was a great relief from the pain, which had become part of her world in a way she never could have imagined. This was not Malfoy's first time trying to torture someone into compliance, this she knew.

Undressing her right foot, she saw it was still very enflamed from the last curse he had used on her, which had made her legs and feet feel as if they were being stabbed with knives. She didn't walk right for two days after that. Thea was bringing her down something, and instead of running right back upstairs, she stared at Hermione.

"You are to have a bath." Having heard the womans voice for the first time, it made Hermione turn. A clean dress had been placed on her side of the bars. She noticed that the woman had been washing her hair more and leaving it down, and her dress and apron were cleaner as of late. She was very pretty. "You should tell them what they want to know. This can't all be worth it."

Hermione shook her head. "I can't just give up. I can't let them win."

"I thought that too, once." Thea said.

"I understand, you have a son to look out for. It can't be easy having to protect someone when it's hard enough to look after yourself."

"I have been blessed to be able to join a household that tolerates him." Her voice was dry.

"Thea, it's nice to hear you speak." Hermione said. "Tell me, what did you do before?"

She looked taken aback by this question and hesitant to answer."Before?..Well, I had Mosley. I stayed home with him."

"And before that?"

Thea pushed a strand of silky black hair behind her ear, and Hermione could have sworn there was a small smile at the corners of her lips. "I danced.. ballet. Mosley's father was a huge fan of muggle arts. He saw me perform and was very persistent about taking me out. He was a bit older, but he was very charming and oddly handsome."

Hermione watched as Thea's face changed from a nostalgic smile to a restrained sadness. "I should have said no, of course. But I didn't know that muggle-wizard relationships were an abomination back then. If I had, I would have done things differently."

"Your relationship was _not_ an abomination." Hermione said with conviction. "I didn't know him but I'm certain your husband loved you and your son very much and there's nothing wrong with that."

Thea shook her head angrily at Hermione. "He's not my husband anymore." She turned on her heels and went up the stairs abruptly.

 _Drip._ Hermione turned her head. _Drip._ She got up to her feet and followed the sound, which increased in volume. There was a tub in the far corner of the cellar, and Hermione stared at it, trying to figure out if it has always been there. She couldn't quite remember. She gasped and took a step back as it became full with water.

This was a favor she could accept after days of no washing, but she approached carefully, making sure there was nothing odd about the water.

Ripping off her dress and throwing it aside, she took a breath before dipping herself into the tub. The water was warm, and it soothed every inch of her body. She dipped her head under the water for a moment, and scrubbed at her roots. When she pulled her head above the water again, she grabbed at a bar of soap that was sitting on the edge. Smelling it first to make sure it didn't have anything hidden in it, she scrubbed herself down with it, washing the blood and sweat off of herself.

But then the water started to disappear from the tub far too soon, and she sighed, because she knew why. A body of water was an opportunity. A way out for someone who had had enough. She sat naked in the tub for a moment, covering her face with her hands. Her relief only short lived.

She pulled herself out of the tub and made her way over to the clean dress that had been put out for her. Carefully, Hermione bent down to get the dress and pulled it over her head. She heard the sound of a door closing and her head snapped up.

Two tall masked male figures with black robes stood in front of the cellar door, and both were looking in her direction. _Death Eaters.._

They came forward, and Hermione backed away. "Stay away from me. Don't."

They looked to each other and then to her, before rushing her. One of them pointed his wand at her, and a light emitted from it that knocked her onto her back. The other quickly moved behind her head to grab her wrists and hold them down. She kicked furiously, pulling at her arms as hard as she could.

"NO!" Her shout was guttural. In her struggle, she saw the other one had what looked like a small but sharp metal piece in his hand. He bent down and grabbed at one of her legs, lifting her dress up enough to find her thigh. She shouted, and delivered a powerful kick that made him stumble back but then he came back with a vengeance, throwing himself over the leg that had kicked him. He quickly but carefully placed the metal looking object over her thigh and whipped out his wand.

"STOP!" She bellowed, her body quickly becoming exhausted under them. "PLEASE STOP!"

 _Clink!_ It was quick, but it was painful. And the shout that was pulled from her lips was so angry and loud, it seemed as if the whole house could hear it.

The Death Eaters had gotten off of her, but she remained on her back, silent. She breathed out and her shaky hand made it's way to her thigh, and she could feel the coldness of the metal piece and realized most of it was under her skin, attached. When she lifted her hand and looked at it, there was blood. A tear left her eye, as she looked back up to the masked Death Eaters, wondering what in the world had just happened to her.

The click of a cane tapped on the cellar floor, and the Death Eaters moved aside, allowing Lucius to walk by them and over to Hermione.

She looked furious as he squatted down beside her body, and his hand hovered over her bloody thigh. The blood disappeared, and all he could see was a little piece of metal in the shape of a circle. "Rurik Berezin, you are a sharp shot. Bit to the left, otherwise perfect."

"She vas very diffee-cult." The mask dissipated off the man's face and Hermione saw the large blonde man smirking.

"Gave her a right scare, we did." The other Death Eater chuckled. He was an older wizard with a stringy beard. "Nearly pissed herself."

"What the _fuck_ did you just do.." Hermione growled, using her arms to sit herself up and scoot away from them.

"Such language." Lucius smiled as he stood up straight. "You're a very lucky girl, Hermione. The Dark Lord himself has requested your presence."

"And what does that have to do with this bloody thing in my leg?" She stood up as best as she could, but her leg wobbled for a moment before straightening out.

"Insurance. It's a newer device. We call it a cutter." Lucius said. "You see, we can't have you attempting to get away once you are in unprotected grounds. This neat little contraption.."

Hermione looked down at her leg, glaring at the intrusive object, before throwing the skirt of her dress over it.

"..will disturb the disapparating process and track the whereabouts of the subject. Or shall I say, parts of the subject. You wouldn't get too far with a missing leg, would you? Best to avoid it altogether."

Hermione frowned deeply, trying not to show weakness by coddling her leg. "Why did you send a bath?"

"Why else? I can't have you smelling up my house now, can I?" Lucius said, as the Russian man wrapped his hand around Hermione's arm and began to pull her with them, outside of the cellar and into the main part of the mansion.

"I forgot to ask, how is your sister, Rurik?" Lucius asked the man who had a tight hold on Hermione.

"She ees Veronika." The man said, making Lucius laugh. "She vill not be told anysing."

"Obstinate little woman, Madam Berezin is." He agreed. "All for the best, though. Strong witches raise strong wizards, my friend."

Hermione looked around at the fancy walls and décor of the Malfoy house, eating up the sight of anything and everything that was not the dismal cellar. As they entered the dining room, her eyes flicked directly to Thea who was as pale as a sheet against the wall with her head down, and her hands folded in front of her. She didn't even look up to see who was entering the room. But then Hermione saw another person in the room, and realized why.

Voldemort stood up from the dining room table and glided over to Hermione, looking her over. She looked back at him, her eyes saying everything she was feeling.

"Granger.." He said, shoving Rurik off of her so he could circle her, inspecting the little details of her appearance. "You have had a hard week, I've heard. Such a pity."

"A pity?" She asked. "This was what you wanted, was it not?"

"You know what I want." Voldemort hissed. "And you will hand it to me soon enough."

"You give me too little credit, Voldemort." She said, causing a gaping silence in the room. It was clear that no one had dared to address him like that in a long time.

Thea lifted her head and looked right at Hermione, shaking her head to signal her to stop. Voldemort noticed this, and so he turned to Thea.

"Was there something you wanted to say to her, girl?" He asked, a hint of annoyance in his voice.

Thea snapped her head down and shook it vigorously. "N-no, my Lord."

"No? I'm sure you can think of something, if you're capable of thinking at all." Voldemort walked over to the trembling woman and she instinctively fell to her knees. "Go on."

Thea was terrified, and she looked over to Lucius, who gave her a stern nod, and then back to the floor. "S-s-speak his n-name only with r-reverence.." She started, trying to steady her voice, which just made it softer. ".. because he will show mercy and reward those who honor his work." The words were rehearsed, etched into her being by someone else.

"Good girl." Voldemort said, as if speaking to a dog, before walking away from her. "It would seem the re-education of muggles is not a wasted effort after all. Lucius, I must say I am proud."

"I'm glad you approve, my Lord."

Hermione watched as Thea stood up and away again, eager to become like the furniture that surrounded her. There, but unnoticed. It looked as if she had just had a brush with death, and perhaps she had. The Dark Lord had ordered the killing of muggles before. Voldemort pointed his wand at Heremione's leg, the one that had been pierced with the cutter, and a strike of white light hit it, causing pain to vibrate through her leg. The leg gave in and she fell down, catching herself on a nearby chair.

"I would like today for you to join me, Miss Granger. I realized there are so many things you haven't seen while in hiding. I would like to show them to you. I don't normally extend these invites to muggles." Voldemort said.

"Good thing I'm not a muggle, then." Hermione said, earning herself another shock from someone else.

Voldemort laughed. "I grant that maybe you are smarter than the others. But not smart enough to save yourself. Come, before I change my mind."

Rurik had a strong hold on her the entire time they left the manor. When they approached a carriage, she looked in front to see some thestrals attached to the front. She hadn't seen one before, but she knew what it was immediately. Only people who have witnessed death could see them, and this was the first time she had encountered one since the battle that changed everything.

"Not to stop. Come." Rurik pulled her into the carriage, and threw her into the back where the luggage would normally go. She curled up in the tight space, wrapping her arms around her legs. She couldn't see the others getting in very well, as there was a protective wall between them. She saw a little gaping hole in the bottom of the carriage and crouched down onto it, placing her eyes in to see beneath her. They had already taken off into the sky and she could see the manor getting smaller, and the trees that were bare from the impending winter. It was almost December. Memories of last year soared through her mind.

" _Hey you.. sleepy." She opened her eyes to see Ron gently caressing her face. "Merry Christmas. I got you what you wanted."_

" _Oh yeah? And what is that?" She yawned sleepily, throwing her cold hands under his shirt to warm them._

" _Nothing." He said, laughing at his own joke. "It's what you said every time I asked you, so I scrounged around and managed to get some."_

" _You're such an idiot, Ron." She smiled, rolling over and pulling the sheets over her head to fall back asleep. He grabbed at the sheets, pulling them off of her and waving a little box in front of her face._

 _She smirked and grabbed at the box, looking back at him. When she opened it, she saw a silver necklace with an amethyst stone center. "Ron.. oh my.. how did you get this?"_

" _I've been studying and scraping about for materials, perhaps."_

" _You mean you made this?" She asked, exasperated._

" _You like it, then?"_

 _She threw herself at him, pinning him down and pressing her lips to his._

"Out!" A voice snapped her awake from her thoughts. She scooted herself over to get out, but not quickly enough as the Russian wizard became impatient, grabbing her by her waist and yanking her out. "You vill lee-sen. No talking beck."

"Okay.." She responded tiredly, looking around her as he held her arm, leading her away from the carriage.

Voldemort was walking ahead of them, Lucius just behind him with the other man that had attacked her earlier. She saw a few empty, run down houses but mostly nothing to either side. But when she looked ahead of her, she saw a big black wall that seemed to reach the sky. She barely noticed that she had begun to shiver from the cold. Voldemort put his hand to the wall and whispered a few words, when the wall began to split like parting doors. Hermione's eyes widened as she saw buildings and brick roads come into view. Though they had a classic look, she knew that these places were newer. Witches and wizards were bustling about in their black cloaks, talking amongst themselves.

"Beautiful, isn't it, Miss Granger?" Voldemort said, looking behind him. "The city before you is called Verisme, and it is one of my proudest accomplishments."

Hermione took in everything as they walked deeper into the city. She noticed all of the witches and wizards that couldn't manage to stuff themselves away fast enough all bowed their heads respectively to the Dark Lord as he passed through. Hermione saw that some of the witches and wizards had muggles, with grey cloaks over their heads, following around behind them. _Protected muggles.._ Hermione thought with a twinge of sickness in her stomach.

Then they stumbled upon a sight that made her gasp. There was a tall brick building with four dead muggle bodies hanging upside down in midair in front, on display for the whole block to see. The bodies seemed all male, and had been impaled and burned beyond recognition and it made Hermione feel weak in the knees. She slumped down, only to be yanked back up by Rurik. Voldemort noticed her reaction to seeing the dead bodies, and walked over to where she was staring at them breathlessly.

"Muggles from the resistance. Stupid things, they are. They shot a wizard and his wife as they slept, thinking that somehow was going to get us to retreat. They were gravely mistaken."

Hermione looked away from the bodies as she was taken into the building. They passed a few closed rooms until they came to one with an open door. Voldemort motioned for her to go inside the room, and Rurik pushed her forward.

When she walked inside, she was standing in what looked like a classroom. There were some muggle children sitting on the floor cross-legged. They seemed to vary from six to ten. They all had cheap looking booklets in their hands and one of them was holding it sideways. A witch in a blue dress stood over all of them, and she looked over to Hermione for a moment before looking down again to the children.

"Can anyone tell me what the first sentence in our booklet says?"

One of the children raised their hand and the woman nodded to her. "Cynthia.."

"The way to ob-ob-ob"

"Obtain." The woman chimed in.

"Obtain true happiness as a muggle is to sub...submit to the author-ity of Wizardkind.

"Good job, Cynthia. Have you any idea what that means, children?"

A boy raised his hand and the woman turned to him. "Jacob."

"Matilda can't read, Madam. She's holding her book all wrong."

The woman looked a little annoyed, but restrained. "That wasn't an answer to my question, Jacob. Next time, only raise your hand if you know."

"Yes, Madam." The boy replied, slinking back down.

The woman turned to the little girl who had been holding her book sideways, but was now red in the face, and smiled at her in an almost sweet way. "Matilda, it's okay if you don't know how to read. You don't have to pretend. You see, children," She began to walk in slow circles around them. ".. when you are ready to go to a household you will find that it won't matter to your Master or Mistress what your shortcomings are, what you look like.." She turned back to the little girl Matilda. "Or whether or not you can read the written word. They will only care about one thing.. and what is that, Cynthia?"

"That we obey the Dark Lord's word and devote ourselves to his followers."

"Correct."

Hermione's head tilted and she breathed out loud enough to get the attention of the children in the room. A couple of them ran behind the woman in blue, hiding behind her skirts from the intruder. The rest just stared at her;

"You don't have to be afraid, children. The woman is leaving." The lady said, motioning to the door.

Hermione backed away from all the little faces that looked at her as if she were going to hurt them. When she was out of the room, the door closed in front of her. She took a deep breath in before looking away. Voldemort was there alone, waiting for her.

"Oh, the little ones. They will be happiest of all." His voice made her stomach turn.

"Children.." She said, shaking her head. "They don't.. they can't.."

"Oh, Hermione. It's always much easier for the younger ones. They feel no loss, because they've never had anything… Come."

Voldemort turned and walked ahead as Hermione followed him past more rooms. A loud sound reverberated off the walls and it made her stop. She looked to Voldemort in a questioning way and he went over to the door from which the sound came, and opened it. Beckoning her to walk in first, she slipped in with him just behind her.

This room was a little bigger than the last one, but there were only two people in there. There was a muggle man that looked about twenty five on the ground, trying to pick himself up after what looked like a nasty fall. Above him, there was a red headed witch with a nasty glare in her eye.

"Say it!" She bellowed at the man.

"Please just let me go back home, ma'am. I didn't know that girl was a witch, I didn't realize. I never would have pursued her had I known. Please believe me."

"I'm warning you, muggle. I've told you several times. That place is not your home anymore. You have been tagged for redemption. So redeem yourself and proclaim your allegiance or you will suffer."

"I'm sorry." The man said, folding his hands together in front of his face. "Please.. I'll give you anything. I will do anything."

"Now we're getting somewhere." The witch smiled. "But you don't mean that.. I need you to mean it."

The man cowered beneath the woman. At this point, she realized who was in the room and jumped.

"Oh! My Lord, so nice of you to drop in." She said, bowing her head nervously.

"Mallory. Hard at work, I see. You needn't bother with this one. Some are simply not able to be taught."

"Thank you for the advice, my Lord." She said before turning to the man who was cowering on the floor and pointed her wand at him. "Avada Kedavra!"

Hermione watched as the man uncurled from the ground and became a stiff, lifeless body. She ran over to him and kneeled at his side, taking his hands into hers. "No.."

"A new one, my Lord?" Mallory asked, looking Hermione over before turning back to the Dark Lord.

"As tempting as it is to hand over this little beast to you, no."

"That's too bad, my Lord." The woman had a calm exterior. "I would have liked to break this one. Look at the way she mourns the man she didn't know."

"He was a person. A person with a family and friends.." Hermione whispered. "What was his crime?"

"How dare you speak to me as if you are my equal you miserable little bitch!" The woman shouted above Hermione. "That muggle is dead because he chose to covet witches and defile them with his lips. He was a disgrace!"

Hermione looked up and shook her head. "You torture people for a living and he is the disgrace?"

Mallory looked to Voldemort as if asking him permission for something. He nodded his head and she whipped out her wand and pointed it directly at Hermione. Mallory cast a spell that dragged Hermione over to her and Lord Voldemort. She flicked it again, and Hermione felt her back bend into a low bow. She clenched her teeth at the cramp that arose in her neck as her head was forcibly turned down.

"You are at the mercy of your superiors and I will not have you speaking this way in front of the Dark Lord. YOU WILL BE SILENT!" Her hair seemed to get redder at her fury, and the intensity of her voice shook the room.

Hermione breathed rapidly into the floor until Mallory withdrew her wand, and she was able to move again. She rubbed the back of her neck with her hand before lifting her head. Mallory looked at her in a way that almost dared her to speak. Hermione did not.

She bit her tongue, and looked to her right, at the body of the muggle man.

And his image stayed with her even as Rurik and the other Death Eaters came back and dragged her out of the building and back into the carriage. She could barely hear the commands and talking amongst them as she laid there- lost in her own mind.

…

The sound of the barred door slamming behind her did not stir Hermione. She felt herself outside of her own body. Lifting the skirt of her dress she looked down at the cutter in her leg and felt for the first time since she'd been here, like the animal the Death Eaters treated her as. She curled up into a ball in the corner of the room and buried her face into her dress.

An hour later, she was roused by the sound of someone coming down. Looking up, she saw Draco opening the door and letting himself inside. Hermione sat there as he walked over to her.

"Hermione.."

"Don't, Draco. Please.." She said as he kneeled down by her.

"Let me try to.." He said, lifting his wand in the air. "Let me take it out."

Hermione looked at his wand and something dark took over her thoughts. He had been stupid enough to take his wand into the cellar with him. She could take it and kill him if she wanted to. All it would take is one moment of his distraction. Then she could try to take out the cutter herself and make a run for it. But then she saw his face, the absolute regret that filled his being as he carefully moved her dress aside to find the metal object, and she did nothing.

"Let me try..." He said, looking into her eyes.

Hermione nodded, and took a deep breath, moving a little to give him a better look at it.

Draco pointed his wand at the cutter in her leg and whispered some inaudible words. The cutter began to shake, and some blood started to fall from it. Hermione covered her mouth with both of her hands to stifle the cry that came forth. It was very painful. A whole two minutes went by, and Draco looked more and more frustrated as he tried to get it out. Hermione was getting pale. And then he stopped.

"I'm sorry, Hermione. I can't do it. I can't get it out." He said, using his wand to make the blood disappear.

"It's okay, Draco." She said, a tear leaving her eye. "Thank you for trying."

"Where did they take you, Hermione?" He asked, as they both rose onto their feet.

Hermione turned and looked into the wall as she remembered the poor man who just wanted to go home. The mangled bodies of desperate men. The children who were being brainwashed into servitude. Little Matilda, who would probably never be able to do something as simple as read. Anger surged through her and she turned around to swing her fist into Draco's chest, making him flinch. She hit him three more times before he grabbed her wrists to make her stop. He pulled her into him and was surprised to feel her arms grab onto him for support. Hermione let out some stifled sobs into his chest.

"You're going to have to trust me eventually. I want this to end as much as you do." Draco whispered, his fingers holding her head to his chest.

 **Berezin Residence, three months ago**

It was a dismal day, with a small red glow in the sky. Three cloaked figures slowly made their way through a black gate when the smallest person almost collapsed, grabbing the gate for support. The other two fled to the smallest ones side.

"Veronika!" Rurik grabbed his sisters hand and rubbed it gently as he helped her steady herself.

The blonde witches belly was protruding through her dress, and she took a deep breath before saying something in Russian and shooing him away from her side, continuing to struggle to walk as she clung to her stomach.

"Madam Berezin, let us help you inside." Came the voice of Rudolphus Lestrange. "It's cold out here."

Rudolphus reached out a hand to help her and she smacked his hand away. " _Nyet!_ Vere is he?"

"Our Lord will come, Veronika. Have patience. Everyone will be here. No one is going to miss the birth of the Dark Lord's child."

Just as he finished his sentence, the woman let out a groan and fell to her knees. Rurik leapt to her side, and pulled her up again, nodding to Rudolphus. The both of them held onto either of her arms as they assisted her inside, despite her protests. When they got through the door of the big victorian house, they set her down on one of the couches in the sitting room. Rurik sat by her side, rubbing her back tenderly.

" _My sister, forgive me. This never should have happened."_ He whispered to her in Parseltongue. _"I should never have agreed to this."_

" _This was my decision, Rurik. Not yours. I wanted to do this."_ She replied.

" _I let our parents down. I said I would protect you."_ Rurik said, grabbing her hands. _"I said I would let nothing happen to you."_

" _Stop it, Rurik!"_ Veronika snapped at him, taking her hands back and standing up. He put his hands in his face and she pushed them away so he would look at her. _"I am a woman now and I am about to bear the child of the most powerful wizard in the world. Mother would have been proud. So stop acting like a remorseful little boy."_

Rudolphus was in the corner of the room, starting up the fireplace with his wand and clearly avoiding the siblings as he didn't understand a word they were saying, and wanted to stay out of it. Veronika let out a small grunt and sat back down, breathing out slowly while looking into the flames. Looking around the room, she spotted some cobwebs and dust. A few of the paintings on the wall whispered among each other in Russian while looking at her.

The door opened and closed, and everyone in the room looked up to see who it was. Voldemort came in and everyone in the room stood for him, including Veronika, who seemed very relieved to see him. "My Lord.."

She clutched her stomach and took a few steps forward before kneeling before him, letting out a small grunt as she did. _"You came."_

Voldemort looked down at the her, and saw that she was pleased to see him, even in her labor. "Of course I came."

" _I am ready, Master."_ Veronika looked up at him.

"Come." He said, holding out a hand to her. She took his hand and he lifted her onto her feet, her eyes steadily on him.

Voldemort led her up the stairs, his hands steadying her. She paused occasionally, looking to Voldemort with needing eyes. When they made it to the top of the stairs, he led her to her room. It was a large bedroom with a fireplace of its own. Art lined the walls and a fire had already been lit. The bed was inviting, with red and black blankets strewn over it. Leading her over to it, he let go of her as she made her way to sit down.

" _Like my mother before me, I suffer for the good of Wizards. This is the duty of witches alone, because only we can give this gift."_ She said, looking over to Voldemort.

" _Such loyalty. Your pain does not go unnoticed."_ He said back, as the sounds of footsteps came up the stairs.

Voldemort turned, and looked at the group of witches that had made their way into the room. Death Eaters themselves, they were all older than the young woman on the bed. Veronika looked to them and then to Voldemort, who went to speak.

"Ladies, thank you for coming." He said. "Our Veronika is in labor and she needs as much help as she can get."

"Of course, my Lord." One of the women said. "It would be our honor to help."

" _Wait.."_ Veronika said, looking at Voldemort. _"I want you to stay, please."_

The women had already started to fill in the room, waving their wands to summon towels and buckets of ice. One of them steadied herself behind Veronika, and rubbed her back gently.

"This is witch's business. I will come back when it is over." He said, turning to walk away.

" _No.."_ Veronika grasped for his hand, and held onto it. _"Please don't leave my side, my Lord."_

Voldemort felt a twinge of something then, inside of him. Something unwelcome. There had also been a girl, ages before, who would beg him like this. Who wanted his eyes for themselves, and his praise above all else. Young Bellatrix Black had been such a good pupil, but so helplessly in need of his presence. He didn't like this feeling, this memory.

" _You are in_ _a state, so I overlook this impertinence."_ Voldemort peeled Veronika's fingers off of his hand and left the room immediately, without another word. The look on her face said she had been gutted, but the task of childbirth soon became her only concern.

Voldemort made his way down the stairs, leaving the women behind. When he came to the sitting room, he saw his closest male followers all standing around the room, sharing words and summoning glasses for drinking. Lucius Malfoy was there, and he was the first one to notice that the Dark Lord had entered the room.

"My Lord. What a glorious day." He said, making a short bow before pouring a glass of whiskey and taking it to him. "Celebrations are in order."

"Indeed." Voldemort took the glass, but didn't take a sip. "I did notice, Lucius, that there was a person missing here today."

Lucius took a sip from his own glass to choke back his reaction to that statement. "She is ill, my Lord."

"Narcissa has been ill for quite some time now, Lucius." He said. "I would hate to think that she is merely avoiding being in my presence."

"My Lord." Lucius had an anger hidden deep in him, but his face was fearful. "I have never lied to you..I _would_ not lie to you. Especially about her."

"I surely hope not…" Voldemorts words hung on the air for a moment before turning to the other men, who all gave him their immediate attention.

"It is our responsibility as wizards to ensure that our bloodlines stay strong. To conjugate with our own, and multiply." Voldemort said, breaking the ice in the room. "Today, Miss Berezin will bear a child of noble blood."

A horrid growl came from the room above them, and all of them looked up for a moment before looking back at the Dark Lord. "I'm afraid she is a bit discontented over it."

The men around the room chuckled and took a sip from their drinks. Rudolphus sat down and lit a pipe that was hanging out of his mouth. "My first wife never did have any children, rest her soul. I suppose that is why I'm still living."

"A real shame, that." One of the men said. "Madam Lestrange would have made very strong children."

"How are things going with the new Mrs.?" Another asked.

"Alright, I suppose." Rudolphus puffed at his pipe for a moment, before taking it out to speak. "We don't always see eye to eye. Different generations, you know. But she is pious, and that's all that matters."

"Not bad looking, either. Exotic. Used to be an athlete, I heard. Beater?" One of the more uncouth men asked.

"Seeker." Rudolphus said, shaking his head. "I'd thank you to not talk about her like this."

Voldemort was sitting in a big cushioned chair that was by the fire, listening to the sounds of the men talking and the fuss upstairs. A memory ran through his head of a young Bellatrix Black, sitting across from him, eager to learn about the Dark Arts. He remembered how miserable she looked the day before her wedding to Rudolphus. She had been madly in love with Voldemort, and he knew it. But he did not have the means to reciprocate such feelings, and wanted her to remain as she was to him, a pupil and follower. And she did not disappoint. So unshaken was her faith to him, she married someone she did not love, and continued to serve him without objection.

Meanwhile, upstairs the women were taking turns with Veronika, soothing her and instructing her through her ordeal. All of them had a goblet of red wine in their left hands, sipping and speaking amongst one another. In an attempt to quiet the girl a bit, one of the witches held a goblet up to her lips. "It's wine, but I added a little potion for the pain, dear. It'll do you some good."

Veronika drank from it, some of the wine spilling down the sides of her cheeks and onto her dress. The woman smiled, wiping the girls face with a cloth.

A couple hours later, Voldemort still hadn't moved from his position on the chair. Deep in his own thoughts, he almost didn't notice when a witch with fiery red hair entered the room. "My Lord."

Rising from his chair, he looked over to her. "Mallory.."

The woman smiled. "A son, my Lord."

Voldemort nodded. "This is splendid news."

"End Veronika?" Rurik leaped out of his seat, looking eager to go upstairs and check on his little sister.

"The mother is fine. Her and the child have already been cleaned up and put back in bed."

Voldemort looked to his men and they all stood up and followed the woman up the stairs to Veronika's bedroom. There, sitting up in her bed with her legs tucked under the blankets was the little blonde witch, with tired rings around her eyes as she looked down at the infant in her arms, who was wrapped tightly in black fabric. Her eyes lifted to see Voldemort, and the rest of everyone who had joined in the room. They were all here to witness the first moments of the Dark Lord's child. But she only locked eyes with Voldemort.

" _My Lord, I'_ _ve done it_ _._ _I've done it for you._ _"_ Veronika said in Parseltongue, as to make the moment as private as she could.

"You have served me well, Veronika." Voldemort said, making his way over to her. He placed a hand on her forehead and she closed her eyes, as if his touch were reward enough.

She lifted the boy in her arms better so he could take him. Voldemort held the bundle in his arms flat, instead of to his body. Looking down, he moved forward to allow his followers to look upon him.

"My Lord, such a blessing." Lucius said. "To have a boy of your own flesh and blood." There was a hint of suggestion in his voice.

"Silence, Lucius." Voldemort said. "Salazar.."

"My Lord?" Mallory chimed in.

"I will call him Salazar. He will possess great power and he will rule under me."

"By your word, my Lord." A few of the Death Eaters across the room stated.

Voldemort looked across to Veronika, who was still looking straight at him, with a glazed look in her eye. " _Salazar_ _._ _I like it._ "

((Thank you for reading, sorry if this chapter was a little all over the place. :) ))


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